Tesla Offers Free One-Month FSD Beta Trial to Boost End-of-Quarter Sales
Tesla provides a free one-month trial of its $12,000 Full Self-Driving Beta system to all eligible U.S. customers to drive end-of-quarter sales. The aggressive promotion comes just weeks before a high-profile civil trial regarding a fatal Autopilot crash.
Tesla launches a one-month free trial of its $12,000 Full Self-Driving (FSD) Beta system for all eligible U.S. customers with compatible hardware. CEO Elon Musk also mandates that prospective buyers receive a demo of the software before completing a vehicle purchase. This full-court press promotion serves as a clear end-of-quarter incentive to boost sales numbers.
The timing of this rollout is highly notable as it occurs just weeks before Tesla faces a civil trial over a fatal 2018 Autopilot crash. The lawsuit focuses heavily on how Tesla represents the capabilities of its driver assistance software and whether the company does enough to prevent driver misuse. Expanding access to the software introduces new risks if untrained users do not pay close attention to the road.
This promotional push coincides with the release of Tesla's new V12 version of FSD, which runs entirely on neural networks instead of traditional code. While many enthusiasts and Tesla executives praise the updated system, giving more drivers temporary access allows Tesla to collect valuable video data to further train its neural networks. However, adding mandatory demos to the buying process potentially complicates Tesla's usually streamlined sales experience.